29" wheels for sure, right?

Making a run at the WORS series in Wisconsin this year....if I want to race a hard tail then 29" is my fastest option right? 6' 4" 190#. The little bike just "feels" so snappy but the big wheels are supposed to roll faster and...well they flat out look better under me. You know, the gorilla on the tricycle thing.

I'm 6' 2" and haven't rode a 26'' in a long time. I agree a 26" seems snappier & flickable, wouldn't trade my 29er in on a 26" though. Just keep riding that 26" in a few years the MTB market will be telling us 26" is the future of MTB racing. Then you will be looked at as being on the cutting edge of the sport.

Heh, yeah that's my theory on 27.5. We got crazy about 29 but some people were like "damn it's hard to get those big wheels rolling and they are heavy and flex" but you can't go back to 26 because you've just been saying how good 29 is for a few years so they needed a way to go back to the smaller size without admitting 29 was a "problem". Thus 650b. It's like just a tiny bit bigger than 26 but it's new and marketable, the next big thing (yay!).

I should probably go 27.5 rear and 29 front, I think that'll be the next big thing

27.5 could be the sweet spot.

A year or 2 ago, Scott bikes put their factory sponsored riders on 3 bikes that were set up identical (parts and fit). The only thing that was different was the wheel size; they tested 26, 27.5 and 29 in wheels. The riders rode the same course on the different bikes with the 27.5 producing the fastest lap times. Iím sure someone will bring up all the variables that can affect the outcome, but you should be able to find the article on the web somewhere.

As for me Iím 6í1Ē and ride a 29er. I have a beautiful custom 7 Verve in 26 that hangs in the garage that doesnít get ridden much since I went 29er. Iíve thought of selling it, but that bike just feels so dam good underneath me and I love riding it, plus all the memories on it.

Seems possible "It's just the right size"....but the last think I want to do is add another wheelsize in the stable.

I think I'm back to needing to do some head-to-head riding. A short loop, switch bikes every lap, use the stopwatch, maybe track heart rate too. Then I'll have a chance of finding out what is faster to me.

Do you take both bikes with you to races or do you get a look at the course beforehand?

I'm not by any sort a pro racer, but I do participate in local events in the southeast michigan area, where all I ride all the trails through the course of the year so I know what to expect from each trail.

What I mean by meta call as well is, lets say your about to race and you show up with lets say both bikes.
And for kicks and giggles lets say you have no knowledge of the course excpet for it being 12 miles long....
Youre gearing up and you find everyone rolling out with 29ers.
I would definantly roll out with the 29.
Because the 29 is effective on flowy downhill sections because they roll faster and good on big long climbs.
You need to match that speed of the other racers to have a chance even if you lose time on turns due to some techcnical sections its ok because
without the added time from the downhill and flowy section you wont have a chance.

Lets say the above scenario happens expecet the trail is 6 miles, and you see a mix of 26 and 29's gearing up... you could make a judgement call here and whip out the 26er and try to use the quick climbing ability and tighter cornering to your advantage cuz the trail has a good shot of being purely technical. since the trail is soo short you wont lose as match time as a longer trail on the long flowy downhills because there probably are not many while gaining time on all the cornering.

But then again, if you know the trail then you know what bike to use....

Take your bike's out and time yourself on the different bikes, see which one your faster on.

It took me a while to get used to my 29er cuz I noticed I was shifting way more, To match the rolling speed and you sometimes need an easier gear to climb to get the bigger tire moving.

A year or 2 ago, Scott bikes put their factory sponsored riders on 3 bikes that were set up identical (parts and fit). The only thing that was different was the wheel size; they tested 26, 27.5 and 29 in wheels. The riders rode the same course on the different bikes with the 27.5 producing the fastest lap times.

After running a 26FC for the past 9years I tried a HT this year and in 29, my first 29. I feel like the geometry of the bike made a huge difference for me and my cornering skills have improved. All in all...there are alot of factors at play with any setup...hard to say straight up 29vs26...although there quite a few good reading articles about the topic.